Brunnera plant named &#39;mr. morse&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Brunnera macrophylla,  ‘Mr. Morse’, characterized by its deep green foliage that heavily mottled with silver with its contrasting green margins and veins combined with panicles of white flowers that are present in mid to late spring.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Brunnera macrophylla

CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

‘Mr. Morse’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Brunneramacrophylla, and is hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Mr.Morse’.

The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Mr. Morse’, as a naturallywhole plant mutation Brunnera macrophylla in a cultivated nursery bed inBeernem, Belgium in 2006. The parent plants of ‘Mr. Morse’ are unknown,however Brunnera macrophylla ‘Betty Bowring’ (not patented) and Brunneramacrophylla ‘Inspector Morse’ (not patented) are probable parents basedon characteristics and presence in the growing area.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished underdirection of the inventor by in vitro propagation in Rijswijk, TheNetherlands in fall of 2006. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivarhas shown that the unique features of ‘Mr. Morse’ are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Mr. Morse’ as a new and unique cultivar of Brunnera.

1. ‘Mr. Morse’ exhibits foliage with an upper leaf surface that is greenwith a silvery overlay between the veins and green margins.

2. ‘Mr. Morse’ exhibits panicles of white flowers in mid to late spring.

‘Mr. Morse’ is a unique Brunnera in combining silver mottled leaves withwhite flowers. In comparison to its probable parent plants; ‘BettyBowring’ has green, non-mottled leaves combined with white flowers and‘Inspector Morse’ has silver mottled foliage but exhibits light blueflowers. There are several existing cultivars of Brunnera known to theinventor that have leaves with silver mottling in addition to ‘InspectorMorse’, however all of these cultivars exhibits light blue flowerswhereas ‘Mr. Morse’ exhibits white flowers. These cultivars include;‘Jack Frost’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,859), ‘Silver Wings’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 13,706) and ‘Looking Glass’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,829).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Brunnera. The photographs on thefirst and second sheet were taken in The Netherlands of a six month-oldplant as grown outdoors in a one gallon container (the dark areas aredue to soil on leaves). The photograph on the first sheet provides aside view of new cultivar and the photograph in the second sheet is aclose-up view of the upper leaf surface of ‘Mr. Morse’. The photographon the third sheet was taken of a plant one year in age as grownoutdoors in a one gallon container in The Netherlands and provides aclose-up view of the flowers of ‘Mr. Morse’. The colors in thephotographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printingtechnology utilized. The color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription accurately describe the colors of the new Brunnera.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of six month and one year-oldplants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in field plots andcontainers in The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar mayvary with variations in environmental, climatic, and culturalconditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmentalconditions. The color determination is in accordance with the 2001R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Blooms from mid to late spring in The            Netherlands.        -   Plant habit.—Clump-forming herbaceous perennial, open mound            with flowering stems emerging from basal rosette of foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 25 cm in height and about            35 cm in width.        -   Cold Hardiness.-U.S.D.A. Zone 3.        -   Culture.—Performs best in medium shade in moist,            well-drained, fertile soils.        -   Diseases and pests.—No more susceptibility or resistance to            diseases than other cultivars of Brunnera.        -   Root description.—Fibrous roots on woody rootstalks.        -   Branching habit.—Basal rosettes.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method.        -   Cropping time.—Average of 20 weeks to finish in the field or            in a 9 cm container when grown outdoors under ambient light            in The Netherlands.        -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Reniform.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Deeply cordate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute to cuspidate.        -   Leaf venation.—Laciniate, conspicuous, color on mature            leaves; 143A, 144A or 144B on upper surface, color on lower            surface 144A.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire with stiff hairs.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal rosettes.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held nearly horizontal to petiole, leaf            plane is flat to convex with edges occasionally curving            downward.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower surface are pubescent, dull,            and rough to touch, both surfaces and margin are densely            covered with short white (155C) strigose hairs that average            1 mm in length on upper surface and 0.5 mm on lower surface            and margin.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves upper surface; 191B to 191C, young            leaves lower surface; 137C to 138A, mature leaves upper            surface; 137A heavily mottled with 190C to 190D, mature            leaves lower surface; 137C to 138A.        -   Leaf size.—Mature to average of 11.6 cm in length and 12.2            cm width.        -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 19 per one year-old plant.        -   Petioles.—Average of 12 cm in length and 3 mm in width, 144A            in color, shape is round becoming sulcate near apex, surface            is dull and pubescent with short stiff fine hairs.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal paniculate cymes of rotate            flowers on leafy flowering stems that arise from base with            smaller panicles from upper nodes.        -   Flowering stems.—Average of 25 cm in length and 3 mm in            width, color is 138B, surface is pubescent with hairs 155B            in color and 0.5 mm in length, cauline leaves; average of 3,            spatulate in shape, sessile, average of 8 cm in length and            7.5 cm in width, acute apex, cuneate base, color, venation            and surface match basal leaves.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 15 cm in height and about 7            cm in width.        -   Flower fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower quantity.—Average of 4 flowering stems per one gallon            sized plant, average of 100 flowers per flowering stem.        -   Flower lastingness.—Average of 7 days per flower, individual            panicles blooms for about 3 weeks.        -   Flower buds.—Globose in shape, average of 2.5 mm in diameter            and depth, calyx portion is 137D with apex 155B.        -   Flower aspect.—Held horizontal to pedicles held at about a            45° angle from peduncle.        -   Flower size.—Average of 7 mm in diameter and 5 mm in depth.        -   Petals.—5, broadly oblanceolate in shape, fused at base,            margin is entire, apex is acute, upper and lower surface is            glabrous, color of upper and lower surface is 155B (whiter)            with raised ring at center of flower 155B, about 3 mm in            length and width.        -   Calyx.—Campanulate with sepals fused at base, about 3.5 mm            in width and 1.5 mm in length.        -   Sepals.—5, lanceolate in shape, about 1.5 mm in length and            0.4 mm width, margin is entire, apex is acute, base is            fused, surface pubescent, color of upper and lower surface            is 138A.        -   Peduncles.—Average of 2 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width on            individual cymes, pubescent surface, color 138B.        -   Pedicels.—Average of 5 mm in length and about 1 mm in width,            pubescent surface, color 137B.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, about 4 mm in length and <0.3 mm in            width, stigma about 0.25 mm in width and length, ovary            superior and about 0.5 mm in diameter and height, style,            stigma, and ovary 155B in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, included, basifixed, about 2.5 mm            in length and 10.7 mm in width and 155B in color, anthers            about 0.5 mm in length and 187A in color, pollen 158D in            color.        -   Seed.—Nutlet, about 0.7 mm in diameter, 200A in color.

1. a new and distinct cultivar of Brunnera plant named ‘Mr. Morse’ asherein illustrated and described.